British Industrial History

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Gilbert Rowe

From Graces Guide

GILBERT ROWE formerly GILBERT ROSENBUSCH was born in the United States in July 1874, and received his early education under private tuition, followed by three years at New York College, 1888-91.

Later on he continued his technical studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, from 1891 to 1894, obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After serving some time in the shops and drawing office of the Sprague Electric Co., New York, he came to this country as their resident engineer in charge of installations of lift equipment on the Central London Railway.

Later on, in March 1917 he joined the staff of Cravens Railway Carriage and Wagon Co., Ltd., and was engaged for a time at the works at Darnall, Sheffield, subsequently travelling extensively on the Continent in the Company's interests.

Mr. Rowe resigned this appointment shortly before his death, which occurred at Sheffield on 20th September 1924, in his fifty-first year.

A well-known Sheffield engineer, Mr. Gilbert Rowe, of Messrs. Craven’s Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, Limited, died at the early age of fifty, at his residence, Dam House, Sheffield, on Saturday, September 20. He received his general education at the College of the City of New York, and his technical training in the Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, U.S.A. After obtaining experience in the workshops of the Sprague Electric Co, Mr. Rowe was promoted installation manager, and erected the goods-handling equipment of the Boston Terminal station. In 1898, he came to England as resident engineer for the company and erected the lift equipment of the Central London Railway. After two years’ service with Messrs. Waygood-Otis, Limited, London, Mr. Rowe was appointed an assistant engineer to the Underground Electric Railways of London, and had charge of the design and installation Of lift equipment, stairways, ventilation plant, cable transmission systems and fire services. In 1907 he was appointed resident engineer for Europe for the Otis Elevator Co. He erected blast-furnaces and charging machines at Dowlais, Hayange, in Alsace-Lorraine, and at Prague in Bohemia. He designed the interlocking and opening mechanism for Creek Bridge, Greenwich, for the London County Council, and under Mr. David Hay, was engaged in consulting work for Messrs. Norton, Griffiths and Co. He was then engaged on the design of the London South Side Main Sewer electric equipment, and laid out complete works in Paris for the Sturtevant Engineering Co. Mr. Rowe was retained by Mr. W. J. E. Binnie on the electric pumping scheme for the Genoa Waterworks. He was consulting engineer to Messrs. Hayward, Tyler and Company, Limited, the Sturtevant Engineering Company, Limited, and the Leeds Forge Company, Limited. In part of the war period he acted as inspecting engineer in the United States of America for the General Electric Company, Limited, in connection with the production of munitions components. In 1917, he was appointed to the post of chief engineer to Craven’s Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, Limited, of Damall, Sheffield, which post he held until his death. Mr. Rowe was a member of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers."